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Hot water heater

I have a 40 gallon direct vent gas water hetaer. New house built in 2002. I am currently on my third replacement water heater under warranty. The temp setting is low and gives plenty of hot water. The t&p valve keeps blowing and dripping when the unit runs. I thought maybe to much pressure so i installed an expansion tank on the hot water side that solved the problem for a month till the diaphram burst on the expansion tank and leaked. what else could be causing the tanks to go so fast. I have city water not well not sure of my pressure but comes out good at faucets any help would be greatly appreciated?

Re: Hot water heater

Check your water pressure. It may be too high. You can get a gauge that screws onto a hose faucet from almost any place that sells lawn sprinklers. I think 50-60 PSI is about the max you want; higher than this and you should install a pressure regulator. If you have a regulator, it may need to be adjusted.

To adjust a regulator, if I recall correctly, you turn the screw clockwise to raise the pressure, counterclockwise to lower it. When you unscrew it, you'll need to release some water in order to see a drop on the gauge.

Most kitchen & bath faucets have flow restrictors, so just turning on the tap isn't a good indicator of water pressure over about 40 PSI.